Vanderbilt vs. Texas A&M: Game Preview With TV Schedule

By Connor Muldowney

Losing a tough game at home last Saturday, the Texas A&M Aggies are in big trouble when it comes to the possibility of catching up to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC West standings. The Aggies’ hopes of making it to the title game are almost all but gone. They still have a chance to make it to a BCS bowl, however.

On the other side of the field, the Vanderbilt Commodores are coming off a huge win against the Georgia Bulldogs. That’s the kind of win that can build momentum for a team who is 4-3 on the season and lift them into a possible bowl bid situation. This team is no easy victory.

Suffering a devastating shoulder injury in the Aggies’ week eight loss, Johnny Manziel has been sidelined ever since going down in the fourth quarter. Apparently, the sophomore quarterback is questionable for this week’s game and the Aggies better hope he comes back. The reigning Heisman winner has 2,289 yards and 18 touchdowns through the air while also rushing for 486 yards and six scores on a team-high 85 carries. Mike Evans has been the best receiver in the nation this year, catching 43 passes for 1,024 yards and nine scores as Manziel’s favorite target.

Vanderbilt has to have all the confidence in the world right now after the win against Georgia. It’s unclear whether senior quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels will start this week after suffering an injury in week eight, but the quarterback has been solid this season, passing for 1,672 yards and 10 touchdowns in seven games. The Commodores have two solid wide outs that Carta-Samuels has been throwing to on a regular basis — Jordan Matthews and Jonathan Krause. The two have combined for 87 catches for 1,317 yards and seven touchdowns, making Carta-Samuels’ job considerably easier.

Defensively, the Commodores rank 59th nationally in points allowed per game while also ranking 59th in points allowed per game — that’s about as average a defense as you can find. The Aggies, however, have one of the worst defenses in the country — a rare trait for a top-25 team. They rank 116th in the nation in yards allowed per game with 511 and 104th in the nation in points allowed per game with nearly 34.

Vanderbilt will travel to Texas A&M to take on the Aggies at 12:21 p.m. EST on Saturday, Oct. 26. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN 3.